Sunday, February 7, 2016

GOP issue: proposition 123

Overview
Arizona Education Finance Amendment, Proposition 123 (2016)
https://ballotpedia.org/

for
charter view
Proposition 123 settles a past due bill and provides much needed stability to K-12 education funding. This ballot measure is a great example of what can be accomplished when our state's political and education leaders come together to address a crisis.
Eileen B. Sigmund
President and CEO
Arizona Charter Schools Association
Arizona_Education_Finance_Amendment,_Proposition_123_(2016)
https://azcharters.org/prop123/
http://azcapitoltimes.com/news/tag/prop-123/

against
http://tucson.com/news/local/education/study-proposal-won-t-bring-funding-of-az-schools-to/article_10cebfb8-40d6-5af9-b41a-f3e07c3342c9.html

AZ Daily Star voter guide
Special Election - Prop. 123 voter guideSpecial Election - Prop. 123 voter guide
http://tucson.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/special-election---prop-voter-guide/article_4b585222-a817-11e5-8452-3fff84c389fd.html

issues:
reduced ed funding versus prior to recession-

Naimark was more pronounced in her concerns.
She pointed out the plan takes money already earmarked for K-12 schools to make up for the Legislature's failure to meet its legal commitment to use tax dollars to make annual inflation adjustments. Naimark said voters won't like the idea of raiding their own funds so lawmakers can use tax dollars for something else, like tax cuts.

More significant, Naimark said Proposition 123 is a temporary solution: The extra dollars it would provide disappear in 2025.

Gov. Doug Ducey agrees that Proposition 123 is not the last word, said his press aide, Daniel Scarpinato.
"He's been very clear this is a first step, a very big first step," Scarpinato said. And he said the governor will "continue to advocate for public schools."
Scarpinato said he could provide no details regarding what more Ducey will propose in new funding.
He said the main priority is keeping the state budget balanced. Then, using what funds are available, Ducey will make "targeted investments in key areas, including K-12," Scarpinato said.
There is no assurance there will be an across-the-board increase in per-student funding. Scarpinato cited work being done by the governor's Classrooms First Council to provide funding "in a way that really rewards student achievement."
"We're going to look not just at how much we're spending overall but are we spending it in the right areas," he said.

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Precinct 187 Voter

As your elected Republican Precinct Committeeman for Precinct 187, (your precinct) in Legislative District 9, I am asking your help. There are currently three Precinct Committeeman in precinct 187 charged with supporting 1200 republican voters.

What is a Precinct Committeeman, and why would I care?  A Republican Precinct Committeeman (PC) represents the GOP voters of his or her precinct at the County Republican Party level. But most importantly, a Republican Precinct Committeeman is the face of the GOP within the precinct. Arizona law defines a party's neighborhood leaders as Precinct Committeemen, who are elected by voters and have a duty to help their fellow Republicans vote. The state of Arizona is divided into 30 Legislative Districts. The Legislative District (LD) is the basic political operating unit.

I am not asking you to become a Precinct Committeeman (though that would be nice), I am asking that you provide me contact information so that I can represent you more effectively. Not long ago, I was serving as you are now by being a reliable Republican voter.  Upon retiring, I sought more involvement by becoming a PC. I was rewarded with information.  I met and am meeting monthly with the PCs of LD9, where we hear from candidates and your elected representatives.

Being a PC would be a lot of work if I did it correctly. The traditional way of contacting you is by showing up at your door and answering your questions  and helping resolve any issues you have with government ( a big job). I find that some voters are not happy with me showing up in this manner, and the chance that you are home when I decide to visit can be low. Instead, I am proposing that you provide me with your preferred means for communicating, to lighten my load. We could communicate any way that works for you to include phone, mail, email, newsletter, website, or in person.

In the following I am providing a variety of options for contacting me:
email: 
farnswdave@gmail.com
mail: David Farnsworth, 1500 W. Dutton Pl, Tucson Az.
Post to my web site by emailing to :
farnswd.ld9p187member@blogger.com
read my web site at: 
http://rld9pc187.blogspot.com/
phone me at (520)360-6965

A method I would prefer is to meet for coffee at a local establishment (preferably with WIFI) so we can converse and I would have the resources of the internet to answer your questions. We could set this up by one of the other channels of communication.  If you wanted to gang up on me, you could  bring friends. I would be willing to meet weekly if we could establish a time and place. (or you could just drop in and drop out when you liked) If we run out of things to do, I can show you how to work your smart phone.

David Farnsworth 
PC, LD9 1st vice chair, State Committeeman 

Reference:
arizonagop.org/precinct-committeemen-handbook/
This handbook contains information our elected neighborhood party leaders (Precinct Committeemen, or PCs) can use to guide them in their work.

Rotating House Meetings (formally called "Senior

Rotating House Meetings (formally called "Senior Coffee Moments")

While walking with Ana Henderson, I have been solicitation contact information for a Precinct Committeeman support group. My intent is to verify the email address with a welcome message then in a
separate message to invite them to read/contribute to my Blog. In a read only (lurking mode) they will find the comments to date, instructions on how to comment, and or log in as a recognized contributor. In the heading information will be a description of what a PC is and does, and the advantages of joining the conversation. One of those is to amplify their voted by being informed, and testing their ideas with the support group.

I have had success collecting contact information for the purpose of supporting me, but have not yet addressed the activities of the group. I am focusing on the retired, reliable voter and possibly those in confined situations.

I volunteer at now two retirement communities and so far have two supporters from the tablet training classes, I conduct weekly. (propose challenging anyone who objects to a partison training class to start one of his own to counterbalance me)

I will propose that neighbors members of my support group to meet together  weekly, as they can make it, to do the coffee thing. Outside of this meeting I will suggest they read and comment on the blog, this simulating a permanently convened meeting where evey one can talk at once.

All of the concepts above will be subject to discussion, and modification via the comment feature with each post (each concept being a separate post)

sensitive information will be stored on a google drive  with specific permissions, and a method to request permissions.

Those without internet skills will be able to someone who has access, and/or be provided tablet/computer training. ( have found the training to be a draw to the face to face meetings)

The overall goal will to provide efficient information transfer, with built in house meetings for signature collection and candidate visits.